Oklahoma (17-11, 4-11) lost to No. 17 Kentucky (19-9, 8-7) 83-82 Wednesday night inside the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman.
After trailing for a majority of the game, the Sooners took the lead over the Wildcats in the second half. After back-and-forth action late in the second, the Wildcats ultimately prevailed over the Sooners following a go-ahead bucket by Otega Oweh with six seconds remaining.
Here are three takeaways from the Sooners loss:
Otega Oweh leads Kentucky in return game
It seems fitting that Otega Oweh would lead his new team in his return game against his former team.
The former Sooner guard finished with a career-high 28 points on 12 of 21 shooting to go along with six rebounds, one block and one steal. Oweh exploded for 23 points in the second half after being held to a quiet five points in the first 20 minutes.
The next leading scorer for the Wildcats was sophomore forward Brandon Garrison who had 12 points on five of eight shooting.
Oweh was responsible for the final 18 points for the Wildcats after his team had fallen into a three-point hole with 9:20 remaining in the game. Only two of Owehs’ 18 points came from the free throw line. All other buckets came via layups, jumpers, and dunks.
“Otega just made some good plays down the stretch,” Kentucky head coach Mark Pope said following the win. “He was able to execute for us, and come through late. Really proud of his effort tonight.”
Oweh put Kentucky ahead for good with his go-ahead layup with six seconds remaining. Oklahoma freshman guard Jeremiah Fears had a chance to put the Sooners ahead at the buzzer, but his layup was blocked by Garrison and Oweh, leaving the Sooners with another heartbreaking defeat.
“We should’ve built a better wall on the back end after hitting our free throws,” Oklahoma senior forward Jalon Moore said following the loss. “It’s a learning experience for sure, but we should’ve been better defensively.”
“Hats off to Otega,” Oklahoma head coach Porter Moser said after the game. “I thought he played a fantastic game and he made it work for them down the stretch.”
Sooners go cold from deep in the first half
Oklahoma struggled to get going from beyond the arc in the first half against the Wildcats.
The Sooners went into the locker room at halftime having only shot a measly three of 12 from three in the first 20 minutes. Oklahoma went the first 10 minutes of the half without making a three before Moore finally broke the seal.
Moore led the way for the Sooners with two total threes made. He was two of four total in the first half. Transfer guard Brycen Goodine made the other three for Oklahoma, going one of three in the process.
Fears went zero of two and transfer guard Glenn Taylor Jr. and sophomore forward Luke Northweather both missed one three.
Despite the poor shooting from deep, the Sooners went into the halftime break only trailing the Wildcats 43-41. Oklahoma went 15 of 31 from the field overall in the first half, matching the Wildcats and keeping pace with Kentucky throughout the first half.
Fears, Moore lead the way for the Sooners early
A big game inside the Lloyd Noble Center meant an opportunity for the Sooners leaders to step up and lead the charge.
In the first half, Moore and Fears did just that for the Sooners. The duo led all scorers in the half and provided a spark for the Sooners in their Wednesday night upset bid.
The senior forward and the freshman guard combined for 24 of the Sooners 41 first- half points. Moore scored 12 points and went four of six from the field in the first half and two of three from the free throw line. Fears also had 12 and went five of 12 and also cashed in a couple of free throws.
After Kentucky took an early 17-8 lead, Moore then scored eight of his 12 first-half points over one minute of game action to pull the Sooners to within three. The forward had a fast-break, and-1 layup, the Sooners first three pointer of the game and a rim-rocking fast-break dunk that brought the Lloyd Noble Center crowd to its feet.
JALON MOORE 🗣️ 8-0 run pic.twitter.com/oIiLw22WyQ
— Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_MBBall) February 27, 2025
beat the buzzer 🏎️ pic.twitter.com/0DDh2QRMwH
— Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_MBBall) February 27, 2025
The strong play from the duo continued into the second half, despite the heartbreaking Sooners’ defeat. Moore finished with 20 points on seven of 12 shooting to lead the Sooners. Fears finished with 18 points on seven of 18 shooting.
“I thought Jeremiah set the tone well in the second half,” Moser said. “When he gets things started and gets the ball moving, it’s contagious for the rest of the team.”
Next, the Sooners are back in action against the Ole Miss Rebels (19-9, 8-7) at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Mar. 1 in Oxford, Mississippi.
This story was edited by Hannah Bryant.
Oklahoma Men’s Basketball schedule:
Nov. 4: Oklahoma 93, Lindenwood 60
Nov. 11: Oklahoma 73, Northwestern State 57
Nov. 16: Oklahoma 85, Stetson 64
Nov. 21: Oklahoma 84, East Texas A&M 56
Nov. 27: Oklahoma 79, Providence 77
Nov. 28: Oklahoma 82, Arizona 77
Nov. 29: Oklahoma 69, Louisville 64
Dec. 3: Oklahoma 76, Georgia Tech 61
Dec. 7: Oklahoma 94, Alcorn 78
Dec. 14: Oklahoma 80, Oklahoma State 65
Dec. 18: Oklahoma 87, Michigan 86
Dec. 22: Oklahoma 89, Central Arkansas 66
Dec. 29: Oklahoma 89, Prairie View A&M 67
Jan. 4: Alabama 107, Oklahoma 79
Jan. 8: Texas A&M 80, Oklahoma 78
Jan. 11: Georgia 72, Oklahoma 62
Jan. 15: Texas, 77, Oklahoma 73
Jan. 18: Oklahoma 82, South Carolina 62
Jan. 25: Oklahoma 65, Arkansas 62
Jan. 28: Texas A&M 75, Oklahoma 68
Feb. 1: Oklahoma 97, Vanderbilt 67
Feb. 4: Auburn 98, Oklahoma 70
Feb. 8: Tennessee 70, Oklahoma 52
Feb. 12: Missouri 82, Oklahoma 58
Feb. 15: LSU 82, Oklahoma 79
Feb. 18: Florida 85, Oklahoma 62
Feb. 22: Oklahoma 93, Mississippi State 87
Feb. 26: vs. Kentucky at 8 p.m. (TV: SEC Network)
March 1: at Mississippi at 1 p.m. (TV: ESPN or ESPN2)
March 5: vs. Missouri at 7 p.m. (TV: SEC Network)
March 8: at Texas at 7 p.m. (TV: SEC Network)
